The Daily Northwestern
4 A&E/Dolphin Show Dolphin Show performs ‘Cinderella’
City Council delays HBO
Emissionslimiting legislation is up in the air
By ISAIAH STEINBERG daily senior staffer
@isaiahstei27
Afer a dueling set of late-hour entreaties, City Council decided to put of a vote on the Healthy Buildings Ordinance — which would prohibit certain emissions for some Evanston buildings — in a lengthy and fractious meeting Monday evening.
With the vote pushed to the next meeting, the stakes remain high. The ordinance would require buildings with more than 20,000 square feet to eliminate on-site emissions and use only renewable energy by 2050 It would also apply to city-owned buildings over 10,000 square feet.
Te council had introduced the measure unanimously on Jan. 13. It seemed poised for a brisk approval until rifs emerged among the city’s power players on Monday.
At a press conference before the meeting, Mayor Daniel Biss framed the ordinance as a crucial step for sustainability in Evanston. “It’s the right thing to do to make sure that we are acting with the courtesy that this crisis
demands to achieve Evanston’s values and our goals — and to be a model for communities across the world,” Biss said at the press conference.
Yet a Monday missive from another group of Evanston bigwigs warned against approving the measure so quickly.
Northwestern President Michael Schill, Evanston Township High School District
202
Superintendent Marcus Campbell, former Mayor Steve Hagerty, Focus Development CEO Tim Anderson and others signed a letter urging City Council to delay a vote on the ordinance, citing practicality and feasibility. In the leter, opponents argued that complying with the ordinance would require expensive building retrofts to eliminate gas-fueled equipment, which could be fnancially prohibitive for landlords, schools, businesses and hospitals.
And when the ordinance arrived at City Council on Monday evening, the rifs extended to the dais.
Ahead of the vote, Ald. Devon Reid (8th) foated the idea of postponing the decision until the next meeting on Feb. 10 or possibly tabling it until April. Afer some confusion over how many votes were needed to reach
» See COUNCIL , page 10
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9 CAMPUS/Biss roundtable Biss talks politics with NU College Democrats
Meet mayoral candidate Jef Boarini
Daniel Biss’ sole challenger wants transparency in local politics
By HANNAH WEBSTER daily senior staffer @hannahe_webster
Behind double doors in the back room of a Central Street pizza joint, longtime
City Council observers and the “Beter than Biss” founder rubbed shoulders with political newcomers.
The eclectic group shook hands. Tey talked politics over slices of DeSalvo’s Pizza. But then, the doors closed, and the
Schill to reestablish ACIR forum
Te Advisory Commitee on Investment Responsibility to return in Feb.
By CAROLINE KILLILEA daily senior staffer
@c_killilea
Northwestern President
man of the hour stood up.
“I am Jef Boarini, and I’m running for mayor,” Boarini announced to the room. “I am running for mayor to make sure that residents’ needs and interests are at the forefront of this community. I am running for
mayor to bring transparency back to Evanston.”
Mayor Daniel Biss’ sole challenger has ridden a wave of opposition against the incumbent, who weathered several
» See BOARINI, page 8
NU will not discipline Trasher
Schill’s nearly 40 minute speech addressed the implications of the new presidential administration on NU students and higher education at large, citing Monday night’s memo from the White House Ofce of Management and Budget announcing a pause in federal funding.
Te memo requires federal agencies to “temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance” while the OMB evaluates the agencies’ adherence to President Donald Trump’s recent
Michael Schill shared updates on the state of the University with the community amid threats to federal funding at his annual freside chat on Tuesday. Te freside chat, hosted by the NU Staf Advisory Council, took place in Norris University Center’s McCormick Auditorium and included both a speech from President Schill and a Q&A session with him and Vice President for Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer Lorraine Gofe.
executive orders. However, a federal judge has ordered a temporary freeze on the ban since Schill spoke.
Schill said he wants to avoid the OMB singling out NU for Title VI violations and DEI practices that interfere with Trump’s new regulations.
“We are the targets of a lot of people in Washington,” Schill said. “What we need to do here is be watchful. We need to not give people the ammunition to pick us of individually.”
Schill said he expects challenges to the budget will particularly impact NU’s scientifc research, which is primarily funded by the federal
government. The National Science Foundation received an 8% budget cut last year, and Congress essentially fatlined funding for the National Institutes of Health.
Another cause for budget concerns, Schill said, is a potential increase in the University’s endowment tax, since endowments make up a signi fcant portion of the operating budget. NU paid nearly $8 million in taxes last year to the federal government under the current 1 4% endowment tax.
Schill said a growing list of proposals by Republicans
» See SCHILL , page 10
As one conduct investigation closes,
another opens
By ISAIAH STEINBERG daily senior staffer @isaiahstei27
Te University will not take disciplinary action against Medill Prof. Steven Trasher, he announced in a Tursday news release. A faculty committee found no grounds for temporary suspension in its frst investigation of Trasher, according to the release.
Te frst investigation focused on Trasher’s social media use and his views on journalistic objectivity, Trasher told Te Daily in September.
Concurrently, the University is launching an additional investigation into Trasher’s conduct, according to the news release. Trasher added that he was told he would not be terminated or suspended due to the new investigation at this time.
“I will never regret being in solidarity for our students’ right to protest, nor for being in solidarity with the people of Palestine,”
» See THRASHER , page 10
Shun Graves/The Daily Northwestern
Jef Boarini, a 34-year Evanston resident and retired creative professional, will run against Mayor Daniel Biss in the April 1 election.
CTA yet to improve Evanston ‘L’ station’s accessibility
By ANAVI PRAKASH and MERYL LI the daily northwestern @anavi_52
Evanston resident Michael Pearce, who uses a wheelchair, used to ride the CTA’s Purple Line to visit his grandparents. However, Pearce said he ran into so many issues around platform accessibility that he has stopped using the trains.
“When I pressed the buton to call for elevator assistance, I’ve had no one come,” Pearce said. “I don’t want to run into those issues again.”
He added that sometimes stations’ elevators don’t work at all.
Te Purple Line currently has three stations that are considered accessible based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA standards include ensuring the scope of space accessible to everyone is the same.
Te Linden station in Wilmete has a ramp and the Davis and Howard stations have elevators. Other stations on the line do not currently have either.
Te Chicago Transit Authority’s Red and Purple Modernization Project aims to improve accessibility in stations across the Red and Purple lines. Te plan aims to widen platforms for access and ensure stations are accessible in compliance with the ADA, according to a CTA presentation given to the city’s ADA Advisory Commission in June.
Te project is currently in Phase 1, which aims to improve the Belmont station and stations between Lawrence and Bryn Mawr on the Red Line, according to CTA spokesperson Tammy Chase.
Te phase’s pre-stage began in 2019, and construction is projected to be completed by the end of 2025
Evanston’s Purple Line stations are part of later phases of the project, Chase said.
“ Te timing and funding for that work has not yet been determined,” she wrote in an email to Te Daily.
Evanston resident Julia Pantoga, a member of the Commission on Aging and Disabilities, said it seems like the CTA does not prioritize helping “vulnerable populations.”
While she can climb stairs independently, Pantoga said her disability requires her to use a walker for long distances.
When she has to take the train, Pantoga doesn’t always bring her walker. At a certain point, she said it is so inconvenient and exhausting to use the CTA that she would rather pay for a cab. However, not everyone with a disability has that option.
“If someone is in a wheelchair, they cannot take a cab because their wheelchairs are too heavy and too big to get in a car,” she said.
Pantoga said the CTA is basing its plans for improvement on previous station use data. As a result, the agency isn’t aware of the increase in demand Central station will face once Ryan Field is complete in 2026, she said.
Lauren Ruiz, the city’s ADA coordinator, said
her priority is making every station accessible as soon as possible, but Central station is high on the list. Te stadium itself will incorporate universal design standards to be accessible for people with disabilities and those with strollers or arthritic knees.
“ Te stadium might be the most accessible stadium, but if people can’t get to that stadium, that takes away from it,” Ruiz said.
She said the community’s main accessibility concerns — based on surveys published by the city — are regarding transportation and sidewalk accessibility. In response, the city launched a sidewalk improvement program to create a safe, non-vehicular transportation option for community members.
Pearce said wider platforms, more responsive call-butons and reliable door-platform levelers
would improve the CTA’s accessibility. For Pantoga, functioning elevators are key. She said sometimes, if one elevator isn’t working, riders with accessibility needs have to cross the street, go up the elevator on the wrong side and ride in the opposite direction until they reach a station with two working elevators to make the switch. No mater how long it takes, Pantoga said accessibility improvements are crucial.
Tey take a long time, but I also understand there’s a lot involved with these things with the city and the state and the feds, and it takes a lot of money and time,” Pantoga added. “But it is very rough on people.”
anaviprakash2027@u.northwestern.edu
merylli2027@u.northwestern.edu
Meryl Li/The Daily Northwestern
Evanston residents who use wheelchairs and walkers avoid taking the train as much as possible due to the lack of working accessibility measures, including the elevator and help line.
ON CAMPUS
NPEP talks the di fculties of reentry
By NAOMI TAXAY daily senior staffer @naomitaxay
Although Frank Alexander II spent his time incarcerated working in ofces, healthcare and a print shop, he was told upon release that he would be “beter of at a restaurant washing dishes” because his work history didn’t count outside prison, he said.
Alexander has only been home for a year, but he has since been promoted to a managerial position at his manufacturing company, he said.
“We have the potential, we’re just not given the opportunity to advance,” Alexander said. “What if I had certifcations? Do you think that conversation would have been diferent?”
Alexander hosted a panel with the Northwestern Prison Education Program Tuesday night, bringing formerly incarcerated individuals and educators together to speak about the difculties of reentry for those with longer sentences and what educational programs can mean for them.
NPEP is an NU initiative to ofer liberal arts education to incarcerated students, according to its website. NU Sociology of Law Professor Robert Nelson, who was one of the panelists, said that liberal arts is not just about providing students with a set program, but also providing them with a set of tools and life skills.
Illinois was initially a leader in higher education for incarcerated individuals — the state was the frst in the country to ofer a degree-granting college-in-prison program, and at one point, every prison in Illinois ofered some form of higher education, according to a report by the Education Justice Project. However, these programs began to collapse in 1989 due to restrictions on state funding.
Panelist Aaron Snowden said that when he frst entered prison, he could order books from all over the world and take as many college courses as he desired. Tough educational programs and resources didn’t completely disappear while he was incarcerated, they became less accessible over time, he said.
Today, those who are serving shorter, two- to three-year sentences are ofen allowed to enroll in educational programs to get time reduced from their sentences and relieve some pressure from the system,
Snowden said. Individuals who are serving longer sentences don’t have that same incentive and can be barred from enrolling, he said.
“It’s a setup for failure, simply because (the prisons) know that (individuals with shorter sentences) aren’t going to learn anything. Tey just want the good time,” Alexander said.
Alexander — who got 40 years back from his original sentence when laws surrounding juvenile ofenses changed in Illinois — said that individuals with longer sentences who want to enroll are interested simply because they want to beter themselves.
Tat’s what time in prison should be dedicated toward, he said.
Changes in legislation mean that people with shorter sentences aren’t necessarily the only ones coming home soon though, Alexander said. People like him, who were unable to access educational programs because of their previously long sentences, might exit the carceral system without any credentials or resources, he said.
“I think those are the people that need to be invested in, more so than low-level ofenses,” panelist
Gabe
James Swansey, who was formerly incarcerated and now lobbies for additional pathways out of the carceral system, said. “Not to say that they don’t need help, but individuals that receive long-term sentences, it’s like they’re automatically tossed away.”
Prison education has profound benefts, even for those serving lengthy or life sentences, according to NPEP’s website. Studies have shown that the higher the education, the lower the recidivism rate.
While the primary argument against education in prisons is its cost, a University of California, Los Angeles study demonstrated that prison education is almost twice as cost-efective as incarceration — while investing $1 million in prison education can prevent 600 crimes, investing the same amount in incarceration prevents only 350 crimes.
“Te people coming home today … it’s not just those who have two years or less,” Alexander said. “You have to ask yourself this question, ‘Who do I want in my community?’”
naomitaxay2027@u.northwestern.edu
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Hawkins/The Daily Northwestern
Frank Alexander II moderated the panel on reentering society post-incarceration.
Rainbow Alliance, STANS host annual drag show
By KATE POLLOT
assistant photo editor @ kpollot 47452
When Crystal Cave Drag Show hostess Addy Rawls asked if anyone in the audience had ever seen a drag performance, a swath of hands went up. Audience members and drag performers filled Norris’ Louis Room for the Friday night show.
The free event was hosted by Northwestern Rainbow Alliance and the Society of Trans and Non-Binary Students, or STANS, and featured four Chicago-based performers: Addy Rawls, Mats, Ash Wednesday and Yur Unkle, as well as the DJ JAXX.
Weinberg freshman Holly Simon was among the first-timer attendees.
“I’m really into queer activism, and drag has had such a special role in that forever,” Simon said. “I’ve always wanted to see a proper drag show, and I knew as soon as STANS and Rainbow [Alliance] put one together, I had to go.”
Addy Rawls served as the show’s hostess, introducing each performer and chatting with them after their number. The queen also closed both acts with a number of her own, making her way across the stage and through the crowd, tossing her cash tips into the air, and even pulling out a bubble gun at one point.
Insect-inspired queen Mats brought pop to the stage, lip-syncing to songs by Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan. Mats brought the audience to its feet when she leapt off the stage during “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” and landed in the splits.
Other performers like Ash Wednesday also delivered high-energy performances featuring kicks, spins, drops and a swinging ponytail.
The show’s only drag king, Yur Unkle, took a route not typically seen at drag shows with his country and rock performances. Yur Unkle said his hyper-masculine persona takes inspiration from Orville Peck, “Brokeback Mountain” and Lil Nas X.
“I was like, ‘My character is going to be your drunk, redneck uncle who you can’t stand and is just insufferable,’” Yur Unkle said. “I thought that was funny because drag is never like that.”
Weinberg senior and STANS member Misty Roe said she personally knew most of the performers and co-produced the show.
Roe said she believes the annual show is an accessible way for students to engage with an important part of queer culture.
“Being a trans person, exploration of gender identity through performance is something I really care about, and I feel like drag is just the pinnacle of that,” Roe said.
Simon echoed Roe’s sentiment, saying they enjoy how drag plays with gender identity and expression as a way to relate the artform to drag performers’ own experiences.
For spectators like Simon, supporting drag performers is a beacon of hope during a time
in which many queer people are worried that those in power may try to silence or “erase” them.
“This kind of grassroots — just getting together and showing our love for our community and ourselves — is the most powerful thing I’ve ever felt,” Simon said. Components of the show functioned as an introduction to drag show etiquette for attendees. Members of STANS and Rainbow Alliance repeatedly reminded audience members to support the performers by tipping them or following them on social media, and Addy Rawls encouraged the audience to support the host organizations.
Both Simon and Yur Unkle said they encourage members of the Northwestern community to engage with local drag.
“You’re so close to the city, and there’s tons of under- 21 places,” Yur Unkle said. “Get out and see drag, or try it.”
katepollot 2024 @u.northwestern.edu
Dolphin Show’s ‘Cinderella’ is a fairytale escape
By LYDIA PLAHN theater critic
@ lydiaplahn 13
The Dolphin Show’s “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella”‘ woos the audience with charm and childhood nostalgia. It feels like you could be watching through a gaze of childlike wonder, completely enthralled in the glitz of the costumes, the visual splendor of full ensemble dance numbers and the resounding hope of Cinderella.
In a story older than the Dolphin Show itself, “Cinderella” makes it easy to get caught up in the catchiness of the 1957 twist on the classic with a charming score and a timeless love story.
The Dolphin Show’s 82 nd production opened Friday and transported viewers into the fairytale world of “Cinderella,” providing the perfect form of escapism. The largest student-run musical in the country, the Dolphin Show did not disappoint in scale, production, quality or heart.
“Cinderella” follows many of the tropes and character arcs that one would expect: there is an orphan living with her cruel stepmother and
stepsisters, a charming prince, an enchanting fairy godmother and even a pumpkin. The stage provides the cast of 24 an opportunity to put their own spin on these beloved characters, an aspect that brought viewers to the theater instead of watching the Disney movie at home.
Ella (Communication senior Sofi Pascua) and Prince Topher (Communication junior Oliver Tam) use this gift of live theatre to turn a romance that can often seem stale or simplistic into something the audience wants to root for. The actors center the magic and romance of the show with their vocals and powerful duets.
Pascua, in particular, gracefully executes one of the more well-known songs from the show, “In My Own Little Corner,” encapsulating the hope and dreams of a girl who longs for more than working for her stepmother. Pascua manages to deliver the grace of a ballerina and the grit of a working class girl to remind the audience to never give up on their dreams.
When the music and romance pause, the show is propelled by supporting characters and their commitment to providing a oneof-a-kind “Cinderella” performance. Advisor
Sebastian (Communication sophomore Jonah Mensch), stepmother Madame (Communication senior Kat Tuohy), fairy godmother Marie (Communication junior Devin Eichel) and Lord Pinkleton (Communication senior Becker Spear) bring characters to life with their larger-than-life wigs and modern jokes.
Characters who are not in the Disney tale, like Jean-Michel (Communication sophomore Patrick Howard) — a young, passionate thinker who wants something better for his town — provide a tie to the real world as he pushes the prince to see the people struggling in the streets and works to make the kingdom more fair. The commentary on inequality is poignant but sometimes feels overshadowed and rushed by the other storylines.
The set artfully transforms from the streets of the simple village to the glamorous ballroom of the palace, letting the audience see the stark difference between where Ella comes from and the home of the prince. At some points the gravitas of the fairy tale is grounded by the limitations of a student production, like when the “golden carriage” appears white.
Almost as many times as the set changes,
the costumes transform as well. Ella switches from blue rags to a shimmery, pearl woven dress and the iconic glass slippers. The costumes serve to cement the fairytale fantasy with full length jewel tone gowns, stiff, structured soldier coats and seemingly magical quick changes.
In a time in which theatre is more explicitly political, much of “Cinderella” harks back to a simpler — though not necessarily better — time when shows had an overture at the beginning that inevitably leads to love at the end. Compared to other shows written today, it may seem as if “Cinderella” is simplistic or lacking a punchiness, but the punch in this version is not in political awareness. It’s instead in the Dolphin Show’s ability to take a plot that the entire audience has seen countless times and create a world and story that keeps the audience enraptured for two and a half hours.
“Cinderella” runs through Sunday, Feb. 1 at Cahn Auditorium, and audiences will surely fall in love with the childlike wonder of this twist on a beloved classic.
lydiaplahn 2027 @u.northwestern.edu
Kate Pollot/The Daily Northwestern
StageStrat debuts as NU’s first arts consulting club
By DALTON HANNA assistant a&& &dit() @daltonhanna0+
Northwestern’s ,rst entertainment consulting club StageStrat debuted this quarter to provide students with real-world, hands-on consulting experience at the intersection of art and business.
Communication sophomores Diane Li and Maya Palacios co-founded StageStrat and serve as the club’s co-presidents. Li said the idea for the club came when the two of them ,lled out business club applications only to realize none of the clubs catered to their interest in entertainment.
“While we were going through envisioning ourselves in those clubs, we didn’t ,nd anything that made us feel happy working on — like projects or clients that we were passionate about,” Li said. Li and Palacios study theatre and economics at
NU. When she arrived at NU, Li said she struggled to ,nd a community of those with a similar set of diverse passions.
By creating StageStrat, Li hopes to foster this community.
“It’s still hard to fathom that there’s nothing like this on campus and that we really are the ,rst business entertainment club,” Palacios said.
-is quarter, the club plans to simulate client meetings among members in preparation for meetings with actual entertainment businesses in the spring, Li said.
Li envisions clients as nonpro,ts of the arts, such as a children’s theater or a dance studio.
StageStrat hopes to meet and consult with these clients about their ,nances.
“We wanted to ,nd a way where you can merge business, entertainment and theatre storytelling all together,” Li said.
-e club’s ,rst meeting took place -ursday in
Annenberg Hall, where they will now meet weekly.
Communication freshman Sophia Hernandez, a potential new member, a.ended an information session for StageStrat where they discussed plans for the quarter. -e executive board leading the meeting explained how members will create presentations on business and ,nance recommendations to pitch to entertainment clients, Hernandez said.
“Although I’ve only been to one meeting, it seems like a fascinating and unique opportunity,” Hernandez said. “I look forward to ge.ing some hands-on experience with entertainment business consulting.”
Unique to StageStrat, compared to some of NU’s other business clubs, is its full open-door policy. -is means there is no application and rejection process; anyone who wants to join can be a part of the club.
StageStrat advisor Communication Prof.
Barbara Bu.s said the organization’s accessibility led to the club’s approval as an o cial NU student group. “ -ere was a moment when the club was going to be denied because it wasn’t inclusive enough,” Bu.s said. “I think everybody should have a seat at the table, and no one should be excluded — and that’s with any activity.”
Being barrier-free, Li said, will foster an open and accepting community.
-ose who might typically steer clear of or face rejection from business clubs can now have a place on campus.
“We want it to be a club on campus where students can discover themselves,” Li said, “Rather than have a club reject them and make the decision for them of whether or not to pursue business.”
daltonhanna2028@u.northwestern.edu
Fans react to BookTok sensation ‘Onyx Storm’
By MISHA MANJURAN OBEROI vid&( &dti()
Chicago resident Tori Payne said she felt like “punching a wall” a er ,nishing the cli anger ending of “Iron Flame,” the sequel to Rebecca Yarros’ viral romantasy novel “Fourth Wing.”
Ever since, Payne has been looking forward to the third installment “Onyx Storm,” which was released Tuesday.
“I feel like it brought me in so quickly into the world, and it was my intro to romantasy,” Payne said.
-e
“Fourth Wing” series follows Violet Sorrengail, a 20-year-old woman forced to join the brutal Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College in the ,ctional kingdom of Navarre. -e novel chronicles her journey in the academy as she tirelessly trains to bond with a dragon and ,ghts to protect the kingdom from the threat of war.
Payne a.ended an “Onyx Storm” release party and trivia night hosted by Evanston bookstore Bookends & Beginnings Wednesday. Release parties such as this are one of the ways in which authors promote their books nowadays, o en sending large batches of books, merchandise and trivia packets to bookstores to encourage them to hold events at the time of releases.
Yarros has seen tremendous success in the last few years — “Fourth Wing” has spent 78 weeks on -e New York Times’s Best Sellers list and “Iron Flame” has spent 52, as of Jan. 23. Her popularity
has soared, largely due to TikTok, or speci,cally, BookTok: the online cultural phenomenon that, as noted by Northwestern University Press Marketing Coordinator Maddie Schultz, is “revolutionizing the publishing industry.”
Since going viral on BookTok with “Fourth Wing’s” May 2023 release, it has sold over 2 3 million copies, not including the copies “Onyx Storm” will sell.
Schultz said that BookTok has been extremely “impactful” for her job and also helpful for new authors trying to sell their books. However, the curated space can be both a blessing and a curse, according to Schultz. -e BookTok community can be a bit “vicious” at times, she said.
“I think (people on BookTok) do not take criticisms of the books they read well,” Schultz said.
Schultz cited examples of times when creators on BookTok have been “canceled” for having strong thoughts on certain tropes or books. She said she feels the community is closed o to readers who disagree with their opinions.
Chicago resident Lauren Hepburn echoed this sentiment but added that BookTok has been a fruitful source for her when it comes to discovering new books, despite its moments of toxicity.
Hepburn, who reread “Fourth Wing” and “Iron Flame” last week in anticipation of the new release, said she ,nds the series fast and engaging. However, to her, it isn’t the ,rst of its kind the way BookTok has carved it out to be.
“Is it something new and innovative in the space? No, but I like it,” Hepburn said. “It makes me happy.”
Schultz, who is a self-proclaimed avid fantasy reader, said she thinks the series is just “okay.” Still, she said she understands why it has been a gripping introduction to fantasy for new readers, like Payne. Payne, who had previously only delved into romance novels, said she has read numerous fantasy books since reading “Fourth Wing.”
Molly Hart, the events and marketing
coordinator at Bookends & Beginnings, said that although she isn’t on TikTok herself, she welcomes anything that gets people to read more.
“From a bookseller’s perspective, anything that gets people excited about books and reading is wonderful,” Hart said. “It doesn’t ma.er where that came from.” .
mishaoberoi2027@u.northwestern.edu
EAC exhibit explores Afro-American diaspora, experience
By CLARE KIRWAN
dai:; n()thw&st&)n
th&
@clarekirwan31
Content Warning: This story contains a mention of police violence.
In 201+ , street photographer Eli Williamson found himself on the New York City metro across from a Black father who had fallen asleep with his daughter on his lap and son curled up next to him. With his Panasonic camera, Williamson quietly snapped pictures of the family.
As a father of two, Williamson said it was powerful to see another Black man simply going through his day.
“I took that picture, and then over the course of several years, I just started taking pictures
of Black men and boys,” Williamson said. “I showed some of those pictures to another Black father, and he said, ‘Man, I really needed to see that today,’ and that’s when I knew it was time for me to take it seriously.”
Williamson began focusing his work on the Black diaspora, photographing Black men and boys in Chicago to reframe the conversation around them. He created the ongoing project
“The Four Virtues,” a four-part monograph that explores the idea of viewing Black men as inherently virtuous, Williamson said.
The first virtue was “FatherHood,” how Black men engage around fathering others, Williamson explained. The second virtue, “Work,” aimed to teach viewers how to respect Black men and boys regardless of the type of labor they do. Thirdly, “Wonder” explores how
Black men and boys can “look freshly” at their environments in contrast to their current need to be hyper-aware due to societal prejudices. Finally, “Fellowship” will inspect how Black men engage with one another in a state of fellowship rather than competition, Williamson said.
In January 2023 , Williamson exhibited “FatherHood” at the Evanston Art Center. The center showcased “Work” in January 2024 . On Sunday, the virtue “Wonder” premiered at EAC with an opening reception. The exhibit will run through Feb. 1+ . There are also plans to display “Fellowship” in 202+ , according to Williamson.
“When I take pictures of people in community, there’s always a magic moment in which I want to really make sure I represent them well, and to get their feedback that they’ve been represented well means a lot to me,” Williamson said.
Viewers can find Williamson’s work in the lobby gallery of EAC. The EAC built the lobby gallery in response to “current events,” aiming to provide a space for LGBTQ+, BIPOC and emerging artists to create shows outside of regular exhibition programming, President and CEO of EAC Paula Danoff said.
Erica McKeehen, an administrative and exhibitions assistant at the art center, noted the uniqueness of the lobby exhibition curatorial fellowship — of which Williamson’s gallery is a part — as it allows the artists to have total creative freedom over their exhibitions.
“We really let them have total control over what they’re showing and how they’re showing it,” McKeehen said.
In “Wonder,” Williamson worked to capture Black men and boys in states of fleeting, everyday moments through his photographs.
Williamson’s favorite works in “Wonder” are a series of pictures included in a book that viewers can flip through, he said, adding that the piece allowed him to put together scenes of Black men and boys’ natural interactions with their environments over time.
“Being able to capture Black men and boys in a state of wonder — where they’re not hyperaware, where they are just taking in their environment, even if it’s on a tough day — it’s probably one of the most meaningful parts of my work,” Williamson said.
One of the reasons Williamson felt called to create “Wonder” specifically was because of the death of 12 -year-old Tamir Rice, a Black boy who was killed by police in 2014 Rice was playing cops and robbers in the park with a toy gun when two cops shot Rice on the scene. Williamson was disturbed by the expectation that Rice was required to be hyperaware in his environment doing an activity that society deems normal for all other races, he said.
Danoff said this emotional charge comes through in Williamson’s photographs.
“His work hits a nerve,” Danoff said. “He takes everyday life and makes the invisible visible.”
clarekirwan 2028 @u.northwestern.edu
arts & entertainment
Editor
Madeline King
Assistant Editors
Marissa Fernandez
Dalton Hanna
Design Editors
Danny O’Grady
Rachel Schlueter
Clare Kirwan/The Daily Northwestern
“Wonder” explores Black men and boys in fleeting, everyday moments to challenge the norm that they must always be hyper-aware in their environments due to stereotypes.
Misha Manjuran Oberoi/The Daily Northwestern Onyx Storm, the third installment in the “Fourth Wing” series by Rebecca Yarros, hit the shelves Tuesday. Several fans gathered at Bookends & Beginnings for a release party and a romantasy trivia night.
OPINION
Hackney: I think I’ve had about enough with the
Ever since Donald Trump won the 2016 election, I have operated under the assumption that all Americans would understand the serious threat he posed to our constitutional order. When Joe Biden framed his presidential campaign in 2020 as one aimed at restoring the “Soul of America,” I shared the view that nothing less was at stake. Te 2024 election thus felt like a very basic fnal exam on our commitment to democracy, and watching the country spectacularly fail that simple exam has been painful.
In the afermath, Democrats have been given all manner of helpful lectures on the subject of why Kamala Harris lost. According to the wearisome Bret Stephens of Te New York Times, it is because Democrats are a party of “prigs and pontifcators.” According to our new Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Harris lost because Democrats think Americans are stupid when they are actually very smart. When over 73 million people cast their vote for a man who is an adjudicated felon, fraudster and
alleged traitor instead of for a respected former prosecutor, senator and vice president, it strikes me as absurd to try and fgure out the “why” of it all.
When over half the country values our democratic ideals so lightly as to throw them over because they are angry about post-pandemic infation suffered across the world, you start to realize that the Greatest Generation we are not. Worse, you worry that America never had a soul to save in the frst place.
And before you discard my opening toasts as just so many sour grapes, refect that on his very frst day in ofce, Trump used the awesome powers of the presidency to pardon or grant clemency to over 1,500 criminals — including violent felons who hurt cops and seditionists who atempted the overthrow of our government on Jan. 6, 2021
So, with real regret, I have concluded that I have had enough. I held onto a glimmer of hope that 2016 was a fuke and that through force of will and a passion for our democratic system, our fellow Americans would see the genius of the American experiment and recommit themselves to it. Tis past election shows how feeting that glimmer truly was.
A majority of Americans are either just not that commited to democracy or are unable to grasp the risks entailed in reelecting an avowed autocrat. I am
honestly not sure which one is worse.
With Republicans in control of all three branches of government, most Democrats seem resigned to playing defense until the 2026 midterm election when, the theory goes, we will resume the regular give-and-take of national politics and win back the House. I am of the view that what is currently happening is sufciently not normal and that it is time for us to radically reconsider our federal system.
Afer all, what so ofen gets lost in the noise is that the blue states are largely the ones footing the federal bill. In 2022, the non-partisan Rockefeller Institute undertook a study of which states were not pulling their weight when it came to funding the federal government. It started by calculating the origin of federal tax receipts by state.
It found that nine of the top ten contributors to federal tax revenues were blue states that voted for Biden. But when it came time to calculate who got the most back from the federal government … surprise! Eight of the top ten states that get the most back per dollar they paid were red states that voted for Trump in 2020
I think we have reached the point where it is fair for citizens of blue states to stop and ask the following question: Are we so enamored of our federal democracy that we want to keep paying more for it
system
than the very red states that seem to hate it so much?
Is it important to you to fund federal healthcare in Mississippi and Alabama even as those states’ senators try to sharply curtail those same federal programs? Do you want to fund a federal government that does not protect women’s health or combat climate change? And do we want to keep funding a federal government that Trump has promised to weaponize against us?
My argument to you: maybe reducing the federal government’s funding is not such a bad idea. Given the choice, I think I would rather keep my tax dollars here in Illinois where a strong majority of my fellow citizens actually share my values.
At a bare minimum, I do not see the wisdom in Democrats pushing to fund an operation run by Republicans who have demonstrated this level of malevolence toward democracy itself. Times have changed. It is time for us to reconsider whether this whole experiment works for us and whether we should keep paying for it.
Stephen Hackney is a candidate for Evanston’s 1st Ward. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Leter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. Te views expressed in this piece do not necessarily refect the views of all staf members of Te Daily Northwestern.
Hernandez Gonzalez: Take more photos with family
When Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny released his sixth solo studio album “DeBÍ TiRR MáS FOToS” on Jan. 5, I didn’t have time to take a full listen. I was fresh of my fight from Denver International Airport to O’Hare International Airport and was en route to Northwestern to commence my sophomore Winter Quarter.
Te experience of saying goodbye to family members while also trying to be optimistic with what the next few weeks will bring isn’t new to me anymore. But, at one point in my undergraduate career, I couldn’t even look at photographs and reminisce about the good times without bawling my eyes out.
Not only did I yearn for my siblings and parents; I wanted to relive the moments of positivity, joy and glee. Tese moments only occur once in a lifetime and the fact that life goes by fast struck me down many times.
As I setled back on campus, I decided to unpack my luggage, clean up my room and listen to the album. At frst glance, two white plastic chairs on the
album cover reminded me of my grandparents and great-grandparents who always ofered me and my siblings identical chairs.
Te familiar beats, raw lyricism and the ultimate message of “a picture is worth a thousand words” didn’t hit me at frst. But, with a second listen, songs like “TURiSTA” and “BOKeTE” made me refect on my personal experiences with the family traditions, style and mannerisms that have impacted my life.
“Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve/ Debí darte más beso’ y abrazo’ las vece’ que pude,” or “I should’ve taken more pictures when I had you/ I should’ve given you more kisses and hugs whenever I could” in English is a specifc lyric from “DtMF” that not only made me appreciate the nostalgia, but also made me think about how photographs play a huge part in who we become.
Te debate of whether to cherish the moment or capture what is going on has always haunted me.
Growing up, I truly enjoyed living in the moment with friends and family without the assistance of a digital camera. But, as I started to rely on electronic devices, I had less cell phone-free environments with loved ones. I wanted to capture every moment on my phone.
In August 2020, my family and I headed towards Zacatecas to visit mi Nelly, my great-grandmother, at her home. She was in critical condition, and we
wanted to make sure that we had the most time with her before things got worse.
Unfortunately, we were too late, and she had passed away. Not only was I in a state of distress, I was infuriated that I didn’t get to tell her how much I loved her and appreciate the wisdom she provided me with every time I was eating her homemade sopa de fdeo or Mexican noodle soup.
At the time, I scoured my family’s memory books for any photos that I had with my Nelly. Te only photos I had with her were either from when I was living in Zacatecas or when I was a toddler. Even though it wasn’t what I intended to fnd, I cherished the photographs of her, her handwriten recipes and the memory of her sweet voice telling me to grab a snack from her store.
Tose are moments that I deeply adore, but I was angry I didn’t capture her essence more. She is one of the reasons I started photography in the frst place. She always instilled the importance of photographing and refecting on things that bring you joy.
Even though I began the practice afer her passing, I wish I had taken more pictures while she was here.
To say that I am not alone in this sentiment would be an understatement. Across the globe, Puerto Ricans, Mexican Americans and South Asians especially have refected on what it means to associate objects, music and photos with lived core
experiences and memories. Due to Bad Bunny’s grand message, TikTok and Instagram users started a trend of posting family members who are no longer in their lives. Tese intimate and raw parts of our lives provide a space for solitude, community and remembrance for the simpler times.
Te idea of taking a moment to capture the moment you’re living in and then resume back to a technology-free space is important because you get to live in the moment but also walk away with a piece of a memory.
Moving forward, when I am back home visiting family, I will not just live in the moment, but I will capture the moment more ofen. Life takes unexpected tolls, and we never know how long we will have loved ones around. Even if it’s “hard to look at” later down the road, at least I will have the assurance that I can refect worry-free.
Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez is a Medill sophomore. He can be contacted at alexanderhernandezgonzalez2027@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Leter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. Te views expressed in this piece do not necessarily refect the views of all staf members of Te Daily Northwestern.
Best Guess: What Crock-Pots can teach you about life
Best Guess is a biweekly advice column on how to survive college, fom Medill senior Mika Ellison. To ask a question or for advice, email opinion@dailynorthwestern.com.
Dear Reader,
I have always been the type of person to watch a pot of boiling water — in more ways than one. I can’t just “go do something else” when I’m focusing on a task. It’s either me and a rusty old ketle in a staring contest or I forget about it entirely and let the whole operation boil over, and the house burns down.
It’s only in the past few years that I’ve realized that like pots of boiling water, young children and most plants, almost everything in life needs the time and space to grow.
In practice, I call this concept the Crock-Pot method. It reminds me that there are some times in life when white-knuckling a situation is not going to help. In fact, it might make things worse. Tere are just moments when you have to assemble ingredients, throw them in a pot, plug it into a wall and then go do something else.
One of the best afernoons of my entire life happened in the sixth grade, when a boxed set of Horrible Histories books arrived at my house at the same time as one of my best friends. We both completely abandoned whatever plans we had made before and
planted ourselves on the couches in my living room, books in hand.
As the butery sunlight moved its way across the room, we fipped through page afer page in complete silence. Occasionally, we would read funny bits aloud to each other, laugh and promptly return to our reading. We didn’t talk or try to read the same book or even sit on the same side of the room. We were just each doing our own thing, but together. Tat afernoon, and that friendship, stand out in my mind as one of the few times I didn’t force myself to put on a performance for someone else or overanalyze whether my friend was having a good time. I just let myself relax into a fun afernoon of reading, with the added bonus of being able to tell someone the best parts of each book. It taught me that just like some dishes need a day or two to rest, even the most important relationships can beneft from a step back or just a moment when both of you can relax into your time together.
Te Crock-Pot method works for actual work as well — once you’ve thought enough about something, you can leave your brain running in the background, and when you revisit a subject or a story or a problem days or weeks later, instead of the jumbled mess of concepts and failed starts, a shiny new essay, solution or idea is waiting for you.
For me, “running it in the background” was the solution to my inability to stop thinking about something. If I told myself that I was moving the issue to my subconscious and revisiting it later, I gave myself freedom from worry.
Te summer before applying to college, my anxiety reached peak levels at the thought of having to write a personal essay that summed up my entire life. It prompted a frantic (and thus completely useless)
inventory of everything I’d ever done up until then, and when that turned up nothing, I spiraled rapidly.
But, luckily, I had given myself time. And afer the second week of running my frantic thoughts in the background and just focusing on my summer job, I sat bolt upright in bed, and scribbled down an idea that turned into my actual college essay — and got me in here.
Te Crock-Pot method doesn’t work for everything; obviously, when you’re fguring out your future, not every task is hands-of. But it ofen makes me a more efective person — making sure my ingredients are prepped, a recipe is planned and my schedule is concrete means that I get more time to just be myself and not a walking, talking existential crisis.
Rather than worrying every day about becoming a healthier, cooler, beter person, I just work slowly and unconsciously at the litle things — eating one vegetable at a time, texting one person back at a time and looking for classes, jobs and hobbies that improve my life.
Tere’s a time for big picture thinking, but there’s also time to let those big dreams take care of themselves for a while and start to do what you can while trusting that when you’re ready, you’ll be able to return to your problem, or your Crock-Pot. And the house will not have burned down or boiled over.
Mika Ellison is a Medill senior. She can be contacted at mikaellison2025@u.northwestern.edu. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Leter to the Editor to opinion@dailynorthwestern.com. Te views expressed in this piece do not necessarily refect the views of all staf members of Te Daily Northwestern.
The Daily Northwestern Volume 148, Issue 3
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Lake Street Church ofers immigrants sanctuary
By MISHA MANJURAN OBEROI daily senior staffer
Local religious and political leaders declared Lake Street Church of Evanston as a public sanctuary for immigrants fearing deportation at an interfaith event Monday.
Rev. Michael Woolf, senior minister of the Lake Street Church, delivered the opening speech and facilitated the event. Te church, which currently ofers shelter to people without homes from October to May, now plans to provide short-term emergency shelter to immigrants in need.
Woolf said Lake Street’s decision to o f er shelter was passed in a unanimous vote. He proclaimed that the church stands in solidarity with all those who fear deportation and is willing to use all its resources to protect them. According to Woolf, the temporary shelter will accommodate 30 to 50 individuals.
“We make this announcement so that those who are in fear know that they have a place, a physical structure, God’s house, to turn to,” Woolf said. “It’s important that they know they are not
Since President Donald Trump’s election and subsequent inauguration, fears of deportation have heightened among the immigrant population. T e administration announced it would no longer regard churches, among other locations, as “safe spaces” with limited immigration enforcement.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spearheaded its “enhanced targeted operations” program in Chicago Sunday, sparking further concern. Television host Phil McGraw, who accompanied the raids, told the Chicago Tribune that ICE targeted people with criminal records in the U.S. without legal authorization.
At Lake Street’s event, speakers of various faiths were present, including Rev. Jason Coulter of First Congregational Church Evanston; Sheikh Hassan Aly, Imam and director of Humanitarian Faith Initiative at Med Global; Rabbi Rachel Weiss of the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation; Jhonathan F. Gómez, co-director of Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America and more.
Mayor Daniel Biss was also a speaker at the event.
Aly emphasized the sacredness of human life and the fundamental right of safety for every individual. He referenced Evanston’s Welcoming City Ordinance, commending it as a testament to the city’s commitment to protecting its residents. Te ordinance was recently amended by City Council to boost noncompliance with federal deportation eforts, among other changes.
“(T e Welcoming City Ordinance) says to those who live in fear, ‘You belong here,’” Aly said. “It’s more than a policy. It’s a promise that Evanston will not be following any injustice.”
Aly urged all people present to be the “hands and eforts” that transform words into actions. He added that the morning event should serve as a call to action for all.
Coulter, the last speaker, spoke about his children and the various ways in which the Chicago public schools they atend are preparing for potential ICE raids. He noted that schools had reassured families via email that a warrant would be required for ICE to gain entry to their premises.
Te email also detailed upcoming “know your rights” sessions hosted by the school and advised immigrant children to develop contingency plans
with their parents in case either were to be forcibly separated or deported.
“(My daughters) asked, ‘Dad, what will we do if one of our classmates is taken from us? What should we do? How should we respond?’” Coulter said. “I wanted to tell them it was not going to happen … but I could not in conscience say that to them.”
Coulter ended his speech by encouraging atendees to stand alongside immigrant communities and fght back for families and the nation.
Weinberg Prof. Kyla Ebels-Duggan, a member of the Reba Place Church, atended the event. Although Ebels-Duggan speculated that Evanston itself will not be high on ICE’s target list, she said that gives the city a more important role to serve as a safe space for immigrants.
Ebels-Duggan added that she thinks it’s helpful for the faith community to stand up and declare its commitment to protect its neighbors. She also underscored a need to keep spreading information.
“I think (spreading information) is certainly one thing we can do and really into the hands of people who are vulnerable to deportation, but really into the hands of anyone who is sympathetic,” Ebels-Duggan said. “I think the more the community is informed, the more we can, at a minimum, hold the federal operations within the range of the law.”
mishaoberoi
Courtesy of Anna Piela
Speakers at the event included Rev. Jason Coulter, Sheikh Hassan Aly, Rabbi Rachel Weiss, Mayor Daniel Biss and more.
controversies during his rst term.
In late 2023, the Be er than Biss commi ee emerged with one goal — nding candidates to unseat Biss in the next election. In his annual State of the City address last May, before he even announced his reelection bid, Biss jokingly braced the public for an “anti-incumbent” campaign.
But when the candidacy ling window closed in October, just one challenger emerged with the required signatures to run against the mayor. Now, at the helm of Biss’ opposition, Boarini has commi ed to a new era of transparency and accountability in Evanston.
A 34-year Evanston resident, Boarini said he was introduced to the city when searching for an inclusive preschool for his son, Ted Gram-Boarini, who has cerebral palsy.
While living in Logan Square in Chicago, Boarini and his late wife, Rocky Kunz, enrolled their son at the School for Li le Children in Evanston. As their son entered the Chicago Public Schools system, they struggled to work with the school to mainstream their son and decided to move to Evanston.
Boarini said he grew up without an introduction to politics from his family. When asked whether anything in his professional background drew him to politics, he pointed to “the litany of hourly wage jobs (he) had before (he) became a professional.”
He then added that his experience as a creative freelancer and later as a creative director at McDonald’s Corp. taught him to recognize dysfunction and assess how teams worked together.
According to his campaign website, Boarini worked as an independent writer for 10 years before accepting the job at McDonald’s. He retired in 201(, a)er seeing the company through both “ nancially rewarding times and very lean times.”
He said his work with McDonald’s allowed him to recognize straightforward transparency within groups.
“It was that that formed the basis for a lot of my reactions to how things are working here in Evanston,” Boarini said.
Beyond his professional life, Boarini has also overseen disability-focused nonpro ts in Evanston and the Chicago area.
Since its creation, Boarini has worked with the Center for Independent Futures — an Evanston-based
nonpro t that supports people with disabilities through coaching, housing support and community activities. He served multiple terms on the board of directors, and a)er retiring from McDonald’s, he spent a term as one of the board’s co-chairs.
Richard Malone, the executive director of the Center for Independent Futures, said Boarini was “instrumental” during his time with the Center and continues to participate in the organization’s programs.
Between 2018 and 2021, Boarini served as president of the board of directors for Arts of Life, a Chicago area nonpro t that supports artists with disabilities, including Boarini’s son.
Arts of Life Executive Director Denise Fisher said she considers their board a “working board” because the members expect to “get (their) hands dirty.”
She added that she asked Boarini to head the board because of his corporate background and that he saw the nonpro t through nancial concerns related to the organization’s growth.
“He just was super level-headed and was 100% sure that we were going to get through it,” Fisher said.
Now, Boarini said he occasionally works for both nonpro ts on a consulting basis. He also plays guitar for Arts of Life’s band, Van Go Go, alongside his son. ,e band, composed of artists with and without disabilities, writes original songs and plays in venues around the Chicago area.
“,ey were desperate for help, so they had to go way deep in the bench to nd me,” Boarini said.
,e political newcomer’s campaign has largely been de ned in opposition to Biss.
Paul Breslin, a 1st Ward resident and member of Evanstonians for Responsible Planning — which supports Boarini’s mayoral run on its social media — said he voted for Biss “with some enthusiasm” in the last mayoral election.
He added that he even supported Biss’ 2018 bid for the governor’s mansion. ,e mayor nished second in the Democratic primary behind Gov. JB Pritzker.
However, Breslin said he became “disillusioned” throughout Biss’ tenure, referencing the Ryan Field stadium deal, the rental agreement to move out of the Civic Center and Envision Evanston 204-. He said he hosted a co.ee event in his condo with Boarini and agrees with the candidate on several issues, such as a.ordable housing and the city budget.
Boarini notched the endorsement of the Most Livable City Association, a group that has consistently criticized Biss’ tie-breaking vote to allow concerts at the rebuilt Ryan Field. According to Boarini’s campaign disclosure ling, additional campaign funds will be given
to Most Livable City and Interfaith Action of Evanston. Boarini is also tied to other prominent Biss critics. Parielle Davis, a candidate for the 7th Ward seat who helped found Be er than Biss and Most Livable City, a ended his campaign kick-o.
Boarini’s romantic partner, Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) has long criticized some of Biss’ key positions, such as his vote on Ryan Field and push to pass Envision Evanston. In November, when asked about the potential of being in a relationship while serving on City Council, both Kelly and Boarini told ,e Daily they would recuse themselves in any con icts of interest.
Boarini summarized his top priority in just one word: transparency.
“,e city’s business is the residents’ business,” he said. “,ey need to be shown everything about it — how the decisions are made, what we’re going to do, what the plan is and how it’s going to turn out.”
Boarini said he began following local politics more closely about two years ago, and nances immediately caught his a ention. He said in his corporate work, he learned to work within a budget, and he was surprised by the city’s lack of nancial discipline.
To Boarini, a tight budget is not detrimental so long as it is adhered to. He said budgets, including the city’s, should contain “no surprises.”
,e city budget has been a hot-bu on issue in the past year. In January 2024, the city entered a 1--month lease to relocate from the Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center and purchased the South End Community Center, formerly the Li le Beans Cafe. Both expenditures
have come under re from critics.
Boarini also joined a public turn against Biss’ push to pass Envision Evanston.
At the Jan. 13 City Council meeting, Boarini joined a long list of public commenters, advocating in favor of extending the timeline to consider Envision Evanston and spli ing the comprehensive plan and zoning proposals. ,e move echoed sentiments expressed in his rst news release.
At the same meeting, the council voted to consider the comprehensive plan on the original timeline but pushed consideration of the zoning plan to this summer.
Boarini faces an uphill climb to the April 1 election. Biss’ campaign website boasts endorsements from state and national representatives as well as seven of the nine current councilmembers. According to his Friends of Daniel Biss campaign’s December filing, the incumbency campaign has $184,000 available. Boarini’s campaign, in contrast, ended 2024 with about $8,000 on hand. Still, the candidate expressed optimism heading into the nal stretch before the election. At his campaign launch, he urged supporters to spread the word about his campaign and rea rmed his commitment to Evanston, alluding to the idea that Biss will seek higher o ce. “I am here only to provide good government. I’m not moving on to any other position beyond this,” he said. “I’m not a politician. I’m your neighbor.”
Shun Graves contributed reporting.
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Je Boarini addresses City Council at the Jan. 13 meeting.
Biss joins NU students for discussion and burritos
By ALEXIA SEXTOU
the daily northwestern
Nothing says democracy like a majorityvoted burrito bowl order.
With a Chipotle buffet spread, Mayor Daniel Biss talked about his position as mayor with Northwestern students in a discussion roundtable in University Hall held by NU College Democrats Tuesday evening.
Biss made his opening remarks by narrating his journey towards becoming mayor — from teaching math at the University of Chicago, to knocking on doors of swing state residents, to finally being an Evanston representative.
Having been active in politics for nearly 20 years, Biss said he’s glad his constituents hold him to a high standard and expect him to make change.
“I’m friends with the mayor of Glenview, and he’s like, ‘My constituents want me to pick up the trash and plow the streets,’” Biss said. “But I’m like, ‘My constituents want me to fix climate change.’”
Biss highlighted a series of policies he’s particularly excited to see take shape in Evanston, from affordable housing and climate protection to racial reparations and beyond.
When the floor was open to questions from the audience, NU students were eager to engage in conversation with the mayor.
Many students were particularly concerned about the most recent Monday’s City Council meeting, during which the vote for a building emissions ordinance was postponed. Opponents to the bill — including NU — claimed it could be financially prohibitive for landlords, schools, businesses and hospitals.
“We’re not gonna have a thriving Evanston without a thriving Northwestern,” Biss said. “But on the flip side, a lot of residents are asking, ‘Are we benefiting from having Northwestern around or are we suffering?’”
Biss said he wasn’t shocked that the vote was delayed. It’s expected that the council would feel nervous to pass something the school district doesn’t support, he said.
However, Biss said he also found it “absolutely sensible” for NU and the council to want to negotiate further.
Biss further urged students to become involved in local politics and help bridge a greater connection between the Evanston and NU community.
“The University is a loose affiliation of human beings, and you guys (as students) have a ton of power,” Biss said.
NU College Democrats co-President and Weinberg junior Clark Mahoney said speaking to local politicians is a fantastic way to “get out of our bubble” and connect with Evanston.
Mahoney added that hosting Biss as a guest speaker was a great opportunity to show
the impact of student involvement in local politics.
When asked about the Chipotle buffet choice, NU College Democrats co-President and Weinberg junior Adam Durr said it was a great avenue to encourage students to come to the event.
“We took a vote. We are a democracy,” Durr said. “We gave our members an option, and they chose Chipotle.”
NU College Democrats frequently host speaker events that are open to both members and the broader NU community. Currently, the organization is seeking to set a
date for an open debate with NU College Republicans.
Durr said he is hoping the debate can take place sometime within the next month, and they are looking to work with the University’s chapters of Young Americans for Freedom and BridgeUSA.
“Trying to coordinate all three of those (student groups) can get a little bit complicated,” Durr said. “But there is no shortage of a desire to have these conversations and have these debates.”
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Alexia Sextou/The Daily Northwestern
Mayor Daniel Biss covered an array of topics, including his personal path to mayor, the new administration’s immigration policy and Evanston’s climate goals.
From page 1
a two-thirds majority among the eight voting members, the council ultimately decided to revisit the motion in February, maintaining the hold with a 5-3 vote.
“When we come back … I think it should be with the goal of achieving the desired outcome of zero emissions and the desired outcome of real stakeholder engagement,” Biss said during the meeting.
Reid initially tried to delay the vote to allow city staf to determine the city’s price tag for bringing its buildings up to compliance and to allow Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) to propose amendments.
Ten, Ald. Tomas Sufredin (6th) noted the
THRASHER
From page 1
Trasher wrote in the release.
Trasher said Medill ofcials canceled his Fall and Winter Quarter classes during the frst investigation, which Weinberg Prof. Jacqueline Stevens called a “glaring” violation of academic freedom in the release.
Te new investigation focuses on Trasher’s conduct at the pro-Palestinian encampment on Deering Meadow in April, alleging that he violated the University demonstration policy, according to the release. In July, Cook County prosecutors dropped
SCHILL
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suggest a large impending increase in the tax, including a proposal by Vice President JD Vance to increase the tax to 35%
Schill also addressed concerns about immigration and student visas in the wake of Trump’s mass deportation campaign. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been targeting Chicago’s immigrant communities in recent days, which Schill says has left students with a sense of uncertainty.
“We know that in the past couple days, there have been some enforcement actions in our city,” Schill said. “This could negatively affect our graduate programs as well as our research, and it may have a direct impact on some of our staff and our faculty.”
To address the issues facing higher education, Schill said the administration is working to
uncertainty of key stakeholders’ positions on the ordinance, and Reid reversed course, encouraging the council to overturn his motion to delay the vote — so he could atempt to delay it even further.
“We’re not opposed to climate action,” Dave Davis, NU’s senior executive director for neighborhood and community relations, said during public comment.
“We’re just opposed to the current draf.”
Ald. Krissie Harris (2nd) agreed. She said she worried that the costs required could bankrupt Evanston/ Skokie School District 65, which already faces fscal ruin.
Local landlords, including North Shore Apartments & Condos’ Eric Paset and Schermerhorn & Co.’s Daniel Schermerhorn, said during public comment that the
charges against Trasher for alleged obstruction of an ofcer while forming a line between campus police and student protesters on Deering Meadow.
“Te timing of this charge supports the argument I made in response to the other investigation: that the discipline is politically-motivated and discriminatory,” Trasher wrote.
During University President Michael Schill’s testimony before the House Commitee on Education and the Workforce in May, former Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) — now a senator — called Trasher a “goon,” alleging that he and other faculty members “scufed with police” during the encampment.
A University spokesperson declined to comment
emphasize the positive influences NU has and can have on the nation. Visits to Capitol Hill and lobbying efforts through organizations like the Association of American Universities are some of the ways NU is hoping to ease scrutiny of colleges and universities.
Schill also had positive news to report.
“While we have financial challenges, our fnances are solid, unlike some of our peer schools,” he said, though he stressed the importance of keeping fnances under control to stay out of a defcit.
He spoke highly of this year’s admissions effort, saying he worried about the admissions cycle following the Supreme Court’s ban on affirmative action. Schill said despite this challenge, diversity remained a top priority when selecting the newest Wildcats.
expensive retrofting would require them to raise rent prices in their buildings substantially.
“If passed, afordable housing would be a myth,” Schermerhorn said.
In response to concerns, Nieuwsma said the ordinance requires city staf to create implementation plans with local stakeholders such as large property owners.
Te lengthy meeting was punctuated by chaos. Councilmembers disagreed on whether stakeholders should provide input before or afer passage, among other debates. At one point, Sustainability and Resilience Manager Cara Prat apologized to Reid for an emotional response to his question, which preceded a fve-minute recess.
City Manager Luke Stowe said it was unclear
on Trasher’s investigations, stating NU could not discuss personnel maters.
In an interview with Te Daily, Stevens said the University should allow faculty under investigation to publicize the evidence in their cases. Tis is currently prohibited by the Faculty Handbook, which states, “Te parties … with knowledge of a disciplinary proceeding are expected to preserve the confdentiality of the case.”
“It is my understanding that Professor Trasher wants to release the ad hoc report but is unable to because the current rules prohibit this,” she told Te Daily in an email.
Rima Kapitan, Trasher’s atorney, criticized the
“We ended up with our most diverse class ever among undergraduates, and we followed the law,” Schill said. “I’m very pleased with the record number of Pell-eligible and first generation students.”
Schill also referenced advancements in sustainability efforts, with a focus on decarbonization and renewable energy.
The University has also made significant investments in artificial intelligence and data science computing. Schill said the administration is working on creating a University-wide AI institute for students from every school to take part in.
Natalie Arsenault, the associate director of the Dispute Resolution Research Center at Kellogg School of Management, is new to NU and said this was her first opportunity to hear the president speak.
“I thought I’d come to hear what he had to say,” Arsenault said. “I think it’s a great thing — to be able to sit in the same room with the president was really nice.”
Andy Jelagin, the IT director for the School of Communication, attended the chat for an update
whether all the institutions named in the opposition leter had agreed to sign it, prompting calls for a delay from several councilmembers.
Deputy City Manager Stephen Ruger also revealed that the city did not know how much it would need to spend to bring its buildings into compliance.
Despite an initial setback, Nieuwsma said the ordinance would provide the framework for achievable compliance standards for property owners, with signifcant implementation support from the city.
“Once this ordinance is passed, that’s when the real work begins,” Nieuwsma said.
isaiahsteinberg2027@u.northwestern.edu
University in September, alleging that NU violated its Faculty Handbook guidelines, which allow for temporary suspension only when “a faculty member poses an immediate threat of harm” to themselves, others or the University.
Meanwhile, Trasher will return to teaching in Spring Quarter. He plans to teach an undergraduate journalism class on LGBTQ+ health and a doctorallevel seminar on public scholarship, according to the news release.
“I look forward to returning to the classroom in April,” Trasher wrote in the release.
isaiahsteinberg2027@u.northwestern.edu
on finances and various University projects.
“I’m just always interested to hear what the plans are and what the vision is for NU going forward,” he said.
Schill expressed his appreciation for the University’s staff and their support throughout his past two and a half years as president.
He encouraged attendees to remain hopeful for the future and confident in the importance of higher education, especially in the wake of unprecedented changes made by the second Trump administration.
“We are moving into uncharted territory,” Schill said. “That means we as a community need to pull together. We can’t be passive. We can’t be divided. We are all going to need to pull together to support NU and each other over the next several years, and I know we will, as we always have.”
carolinekillilea2027@u.northwestern.edu
Hook… and Sinker
By Francesco Thorik-Saboia
By: Max Sullivan
Disparities remain in access to Chicago green spaces
By JILLIAN MOORE daily senior staffer @jillian_moore
While driving with friends to watch a basketball game in Washington Park in 1979, Caroline O’Boyle (Communication ’82) was pulled over by a police ofcer who told her to “go home immediately” because he thought it was a dangerous area for white people to be in. She said similar situations still happen today, more than 40 years later.
O’Boyle, a Chicago native, said her experiences have helped inform her work as Illinois state director at the Trust for Public Land, a non-proft that protects and restores green spaces.
“When you travel from an under-resourced community to a heavily resourced community, you can’t help but notice the disparities. But if you never travel out of those communities, you won’t understand it,” she said.
O’Boyle is one of many people interviewed about the long-term efects of segregation in the book “Don’t Go” by Tonika Lewis Johnson and Maria Krysan. One such harmful efect is the disparity in access to nature between the North Side of Chicago and the South and West Sides of Chicago.
In 2017, Johnson founded the Folded Map Project, which visually connects Chicago residents living at corresponding North Side and South Side addresses through photography and video interviews.
“It just became clear to me that the ‘don’t go’ narrative was the avenue to really extend that conversation,” Johnson said at the “Unmaking Segregation” speaker event in Parkes Hall on Jan. 15. “When we talk about neighborhoods and places, we all know you’re talking about people.”
Katie Fleming is the senior forestry program manager at Openlands, a non-proft commited to conservation in Illinois. She said residents across Chicago beneft from access to nature, making it imperative to increase the amount of trees in the city.
“For us humans in an urban environment, there’s a lot of studies out there that prove anyone who lives closer to green space is typically healthier, mentally and physically,” she said. “Kids who live closer to parks get more exercise, reduced obesity rates, but also reduced anxiety and depression, and ADHD symptoms.”
Fleming added that trees beneft the city economically and environmentally, as they prevent soil erosion, lower long-term infrastructure costs, take up stormwater in communities prone to fooding and reduce
asthma risks in high-pollutant neighborhoods.Tese efects are especially evident in industrial corridors — many of which are on the West Side.
Leslie Cortez (School of Professional Studies ’21), a youth organizer at the Litle Village Environmental Justice Organization, shared their story in “Don’t Go” as a person hailing from a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in Chicago.
“It resonated deeply with many of us on the West and South Side. We watched our Chicago landscape transform, and we return home and we see this (lack of) investment in our parks, our lack of green spaces as we travel from school, from work, et cetera,” Cortez said at the panel.
One way to measure a neighborhood’s access to nature is the urban tree canopy (UTC), or the area of land covered by tree branches, leaves and stems. According to the Chicago Region Trees Initiative’s 2020 tree census, the most recent data available, the average canopy coverage in Chicago is 19%
While some neighborhoods have almost 30% UTC coverage, many areas in the South Side and West Side have less than 15% coverage.
Another relevant statistic from the tree census is the amount of tree canopy in comparison to plantable space, or the land cover types in a neighborhood that can be converted into canopy. Calculating the ratio of tree canopy to plantable space shows vegetation and bare soil are going underutilized in the South Side, and even more so on the West Side.
Te only wards in Chicago with more canopy than plantable space are on the North Side.
Fleming is also a member of the Urban Tree Canopy Team at the Chicago Wilderness Alliance. She said because trees are part of “green infrastructure” — and one of the only resources that increase in value, providing more benefts over time — the composition of trees in a neighborhood must be considered in addition to total canopy coverage.
“Our engagement has always been focused on communities that have low canopy (coverage), but also an aging canopy,” she said. “Tere’s a lot of communities that only have large and mature trees that are going to age out at some point. So having diversity, not just in species, but diversity in the ages of the trees planted in a community is incredibly important.”
According to a 2021 study of 37 U.S. cities, including Chicago, there is a statistically signifcant relationship between a neighborhood’s percentage of UTC coverage and historical Home Owners’ Loan
Corporation (HOLC) grade, which were given between 1935 and 1940
HOLC maps outlined neighborhoods in green for “best” and red for “hazardous,” largely along lines of race and class, leading to the term “redlining.” Formerly green neighborhoods have the highest average percentage of UTC coverage at 41 1%, while formerly red neighborhoods have an average of 20 9% coverage.
Tere are ongoing eforts to mitigate the long-term impacts of redlining, such as the Our Roots Chicago project. Te initiative, which began in 2022, aims to plant 75,000 trees in fve years with an equitable approach.
O’Boyle said the Trust for Public Land is currently consulting the Chicago Park District in a process called the Park Equity Accelerator, which uses data to inform decisionmaking about where new parks and new amenities for existing parks are needed.
“While the (Chicago Park District) itself makes an efort to share its research or spread its resources equitably around the city, because of the institutions that exist in these communities it follows that communities in wealthier areas of the city, those parks have more resources,” O’Boyle said. “Tey have local businesspeople who support programming. Tey have people who have the capacity to serve on Park Advisory Councils and volunteer their time.”
Fleming said an additional factor dictating her work is funding from the Justice40 Initiative. Justice40 established a federal government-wide goal
that 40% of the benefts of certain federal investments fow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved and overburdened by pollution.
O’Boyle said addressing the disparity in access to green spaces in the city is still a work in progress.
“Joining their local Park Advisory Council is one way to go, attending Chicago Park District board meetings is another way to go, organizing a local cleanup of your park or a fundraising campaign for your park is another way to go,” she said. “But it’s a systemic challenge and so it’s going to require a systemic solution.”
jillianmoore2027@u.northwestern.edu
The Daily Northwestern
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Winter 2025 | An independent voice since 1923 | Evanston, Illinois
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Wednesday, January 29, 2025
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Narrow loss at Illinois offers lessons for growth
By ELI KRONENBERG daily se(i)r sta,,er @elikronenberg
A-er Northwestern women’s tennis slumped to its .rst defeat of the season at in-state rivals Illinois Saturday, coach Claire Pollard rued the mistakes that cost her team in a series of tightly contested matches.
“We had so many opportunities — opportunity a-er opportunity — and we just didn’t take it very well,” Pollard said.
Yet, despite the loss, Pollard said she found silver linings from the Wildcats’ (3-1, 0-0 Big Ten) trip to Champaign.
She said the match –– which didn’t count for each team’s conference record and took place because the two schools are hosting the ITA Women’s National Team Indoor Championships and were both exempt from the weekend’s qualifying events –– served as an opportunity for a young team to replicate playing in a Big Ten environment.
“It’s a hard place to play, the fans are rough,” Pollard said. “We needed, especially for the young players, to hear that, feel that, understand what it’s going to be like.”
Pollard mentioned that her singles lineup featured four underclassmen, while Illinois only started one. She added that she thought the team’s performance was “so much be er” than in its loss at Illinois last season when the Wildcats won the doubles point but lost all .ve completed singles matches.
Still, Pollard said the positives she took away did not take center stage in her post-match message to the team.
“I wasn’t particularly nice a-er we lost,” Pollard said. “We can’t take any consolation that we played hard. We go a win, and we didn’t.”
At Atkins Tennis Center, NU began the day by losing the doubles point a-er failing to convert a match point in the ultimately decisive No. 3 doubles match.
In that contest, freshman Maia
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Loureiro and sophomore Neena Feldman reeled o four consecutive games from 4-1 down and found themselves up match point at 5-4, 40-40. However, Loureiro sent a forehand return long, and the Fighting Illini’s Violeta Martinez and Alice Xu eventually prevailed in a tiebreak.
In the other doubles sets, No. 1 pairing freshman Erica Jessel and senior Sydney Pra lost 6-4, while No. 2 pairing graduate student Britany Lau and freshman Mika Dagan Fruchtman won 7-5
“We kind of blew the doubles point,” Pollard said. “I think had we got that, the match switches in our favor.”
In singles, four NU players won the .rst set, pu ing the team on track for victory. But, of those four, only Pra won her second set, prevailing 6-2, 7-5 at the No. 6 spot. No. 4 Feldman succeeded in three sets, but No. 1 Dagan Fruchtman and No. 2 Jessel lost in two, leaving the team’s fate in sophomore No. 5 Autumn Rabjohns’s hands.
Northwestern drops seventh straight game
By AUDREY PACHUTA daily se(i)r sta,,er @audreypachuta
When Northwestern hosted thenNo. 13 Iowa last season in front of a packed house, few could have predicted anything other than a decisive loss.
After all, the Hawkeyes ( 14 - 7 , 4 - 6 Big Ten) boasted a roster led by Caitlin Clark, the future NCAA all-time leading scorer, alongside key contributors like forward Kate Martin, now in the WNBA, and sharpshooters like Gabbie Marshall. The visitors seemed poised to dominate.
Fast forward nearly a year, and what was once a matchup defined by Iowa’s sheer dominance has evolved into something far more competitive. When the Wildcats ( 7 - 12 , 0 - 8 Big Ten) took the floor against them on Tuesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, they looked every bit the equal of their opponents.
The ’Cats were up by 10 midway through the first quarter, but after Iowa regained the lead early in the second, NU never held it again, ultimately dropping its seventh-straight game, 85 - 80
Five different NU scorers ended the night with double-digit outputs as both senior forward Caileigh Walsh and junior guard Melannie Daley recorded 15 points to lead the team.
Here are three takeaways from NU’s loss to Iowa:
1 . Unusually strong start
Heading into Tuesday’s game, NU had only led after the first quarter in four of its 18 games this season. But against the Hawkeyes, the ’Cats came out firing, dominating the opening period and jumping to a double-digit lead after just-over five minutes of play.
Coach Joe McKeown made a slight shift to his starting lineup, opting for Walsh over junior guard Caroline Lau. The move paid immediate dividends—Lau, who entered the game with 5 : 41 left in the first quarter, sparked the offense, knocking down a three-pointer just 45 seconds after
stepping on the floor. She was one of three Wildcats to hit a long ball in the opening frame.
The Hawkeyes regained the advantage with seven minutes to play in the second quarter and NU never led again.
2 . Major 3 -point improvement
After NU shot just 2 -of- 13 from beyond the arc in its most recent loss to Illinois, McKeown called out his team’s 3 -point game, noting that the only real threats from deep in his gym were his assistant coaches.
The message clearly struck a nerve with his squad, who started the game with a five first-half triples.
NU hit its first three attempts from beyond the arc, with sophomore guard Casey Harter leading the way. Harter buried one less than three minutes into the game, followed by Walsh and Lau. Before the first quarter buzzer sounded, Harter added another trey to her tally.
Earlier this month McKeown told the Daily that he was hoping to see Harter shoot more from deep, and against Iowa, she delivered.
The ’Cats long-ball prowess continued in the second half and they still finished with a season-high nine made-threes.
Lau ended the game with 13 points and four triples after recording zero points in the Illinois loss.
3 . Iowa dominates in the paint
Although NU’s shooting from beyond the arc showed improvement, Iowa dominated in the paint, outscoring the ’Cats 38 - 26 inside. NU’s defense struggled to contain Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke, who finished with a team-high 26 points.
Stuelke, one of just two returning starters for Iowa, has been a key figure on a squad that has finished as national runners-up in back-to-back seasons.
While both ’Cats and their opponents earned 20 trips to the freethrow line, Iowa outpaced NU at the stripe, making 18 of its foul shots compared to the visitors 13 audreypachuta2027@u.northwestern.edu
Rabjohns took the .rst set 6-2, but as the match went on, her opponent Ariel Madatali wore her down by utilizing a forehand slice and tracking down balls to extend rallies. Madatali took the second and third sets 6-2, clinching a 4-2 victory for Illinois.
Pollard and Rabjohns each said Madatali’s play style reminded them of the NU sophomore’s own.
“At times, I was like, ‘I’m not gonna miss, and she’s not gonna miss either, and that’s gonna be this match,’” Rabjohns said. “I was hoping to outlast her, but she got the be er of me.”
NU returned to Combe Tennis Center Sunday and dispatched DePaul and Eastern Illinois in a doubleheader. e three underclassmen who lost at Illinois — Dagan Fruchtman, Jessel and Rabjohns — all earned dominant wins.
Pra , one of the team’s two longest-tenured players, praised the younger players’ work ethic. As a team leader, she said she hopes to help them learn what it takes to win
‘Cats
By SIDDARTH SIVARAMAN
singles matches.
“Playing college tennis matches is very di erent from junior tennis, and it’s very di erent from practicing,” Pra said. “ ere’s such a .ne balance between how tough you are on yourself and how much you train during the week, and .nding that balance is really important. Now, as a senior, I’ve found it, and I think I can be a good role model for that.”
The ’Cats return to action
WRESTLING
Sunday to face Georgia Tech (3-2, 0-0 ACC), a team Pollard said is o to a “slow start” but expects to improve soon. In that contest and beyond, the Illinois loss will have provided vital preparation for a team with high aspirations.
“I’m really hoping that’s a good, hard lesson early on that we can grow from,” Pollard said.
elikronenberg2027@u.northwestern.edu
fall to No.8 Minnesota
t:e daily ()rt:wester( @sidviaraman
ree Northwestern underclassmen won their bouts, but No. 8 Minnesota steamrolled to a convincing 29-12 win Sunday a-ernoon.
e meet kicked o with the back half of the lineup, where the Wildcats (2-5, 0-4 Big Ten) struggled against .ve nationally ranked Golden Gophers. No. 12 redshirt junior 197-pounder Evan Bates was NU’s only wrestler to score a takedown in the half, but he lost 10-3 to Minnesota’s No. 9 Isaiah Salazar.
With Minnesota resting two regular starters in the second half, redshirt freshman 125-pounder Dedrick Navarro gave the ’Cats a spark with a pin over Minnesota’s Quincy Hulverson. A-er his third straight dual win, Navarro said he still has improvements to make as the season progresses.
“It’s ge ing to crunch time,” he said. “I’m just trying to improve as much as I can in this li le amount of time we’ve got.”
Sophomore 133-pounder Massey Odio i secured his second consecutive dual win, a 14-7 decision win over Minnesota’s Blake Beissel. A-er an early
takedown by Beissel, Odio i answered with two of his own. Up 8-5 entering the third period, Odio i sealed the win with a pair of takedowns in the .nal 40 seconds.
No. 27 graduate student 141-pounder Chris Cannon wrestled with a shoulder brace to prevent him from su ering what could have been a third upper body injury in two weeks. However, an ankle injury in the second period appeared to limit his mobility. Trailing 4-0 to Minnesota’s No. 8 Vance VomBaur at the time, Cannon couldn’t keep pace as four VomBaur takedowns in the third period put a winning result out of reach.
No. 24 redshirt freshman 149-pounder Sam Cartella came out on top of an even matchup against Minnesota’s No. 23 Drew Roberts. A-er a scrappy 4-5 overtime loss to Michigan’s No. 22 Dylan Gilcher, Cartella rebounded with a 6-3 win over Roberts.
“I gassed out in the Michigan match,” Cartella said. “I worked on some conditioning this week and focused on managing my weight be er, and then hydrating be er a-er weigh-ins.”
In perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the afternoon, No. 9 graduate student 157-pounder Trevor Chumbley fumbled a late lead against Minnesota’s No. 8 Tommy Askey for
a 3-2 loss. Electing to start the second period in control, Chumbley refused to let Askey escape for the entire period, then escaped within seconds to start the third period. Askey chased a takedown for the rest of the bout, pu ing Chumbley on the back foot. With 30 seconds le-, Askey grabbed hold of Chumbley’s right leg and ipped him over, scoring a takedown to record a win.
Now halfway through the Big Ten schedule and still without a conference win, NU coach Ma Storniolo said small adjustments separate the ’Cats from the elite.
e best guys know where they’re good, they know how to force their wrestling to those positions and they capitalize on it,” he said. “We need to put the wrestling where we want it to be and not just be a passenger in the seat for where the other guy is going to take us.”
NU will go on the road to face No. 24 Indiana Saturday before hosting Michigan State the following Friday. Storniolo said he expects to win both.
“We’ve got most of the really tough ones out of the way now,” Storniolo said. “We’ve got a couple matches where I expect us to go in there and get it done as a team.”
siddarthsivaraman2028@u.northwestern.edu
Siddarth Sivaraman/The Daily Northwestern No. 9 graduate student 157-pounder Trevor Chumbley engages in head hands defense against Minnesota’s No. 8 Tommy Askey.
Daily file photo by Esther Lim
Senior Sydney Pratt prepares to return a serve in a match against Wisconsin last season.